Open-Gate Weekends Bonus for Public Land Hunters

The Alabama State Lands Division announces a series of “open-gate weekends” on four Forever Wild properties designed to increase access to hunting on public lands.

During the weekends, the internal woods-roads gates will be opened to allow for easier access to hunting on the properties.

The Forever Wild properties listed below are open-permit public lands. Unlike hunting on private land or Wildlife Management Areas (WMA), the hunter only needs a hunting license to hunt the properties. All other hunting rules and regulations apply and the tracts will be patrolled and monitored by conservation enforcement officers.

The Lillian Swamp and Splinter Hill Bog tracts in Baldwin County, the Old Cahawba Prairie tract in Dallas County and the Red Hills tract in Monroe will have gates open serving the primary roads within these tracts during Jan. 11-12, 2014, and Feb. 22-23, 2014.

“The open-gate weekends are designed to address requests for improved access to public lands,” said Patti Powell, State Lands Director.

During the open-gate weekends, the entire tract will be open to hunting and hunters are encouraged to practice hunter safety. More information about hunting safely can be found in the hunter education section of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources website, www.outdooralabama.com.

All published rules and regulations for these specific tracts remain the same during the open-gate weekends. Visit www.alabamaforeverwild.com for more information about hunting provisions on Forever Wild properties. For other periods of the hunting season, the tracts remain open under the routine designated means of access by public roads and parking area points of entry.

The Forever Wild Land Trust has purchased more than 240,000 acres for public protection and recreation, including hunting, since the program began in 1992. It is supported in part by a special Forever Wild car tag available at all probate offices.